Alicia Ale

Miami always surprises me with its ideas, planning and vibe, what is the latest? A WalMart in Downtown Miami right next to the Performing Art Center?

Is it a good or very bad sinking idea? I wonder

Omni area has always been in the eye for investors and Miami to reorganize, to recreate and to re-develop into a place to shop, dine and go to a violin concert, but going shopping to wallmart was not on my schedule of things to do around biscayne bay in the middle of the night, god knows if this wallmart will be 24 hrs. Let’s face it, either you go to Wallmart or go to out in a smoking to a great play. either or but both mixed together? sounds like eating ice cream with kitchen. Can someone explain this to me again?

Miami Herald has published an incredible article in this regards and for some reason i think that Miami its selling at a cheap price a dream future all developers and residents were hoping for. The revitalization of the Biscayne corridor, are we going backwards?

what do you think?

Don’t box us in: A Wal-Mart in the emerging cultural center would be a giant step backward for Miami

Posted on Sun, Aug. 17, 2008

Credits: Miami Herald

BY BETH DUNLOP

SPECIAL TO THE MIAMI HERALD

Miami has always been a city on the verge, and it’s never quite clear whether it will embrace greatness or mediocrity. Drive up Biscayne Boulevard, a street with the potential for beauty and dignity, and you can see both possibility and stupidity — whole blocks given over to fast-food franchises, sprawling corner gas stations and more. It somehow seems like a high-stakes game of Mother-May-I, with baby steps forward and a giant step back.

But no backward step is bigger than the one the city is confronting now, a Wal-Mart next to the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, on parking lots still owned by The Miami Herald with a sale expected to be consummated next year. Of all the bad ideas ever proffered for downtown Miami, this is the worst.

And shockingly so in a time and a place where we have already invested more than $500 million (counting the Arsht Center and the preliminary work on Museum Park) in public funds to create a downtown cultural precinct.

see full article here

Pretty shocking huh?

New condo high-rise Residential Buildings and Towers in Brickell avenue Miami's Financial district by the bay, are luring many tenants to move in due to its great amenities and out door area attractions such as the new mall Mary Brickell Village and signature restaurants and Hotels.

New Low prices to rent a brand new never been occupied condo are a temptation specially where many of the developer have put their residual inventory for rent, giving many chances to rent with only 2 months first and security and an opportunity to lease to own. Well all that story sound very good until your customer say to you oh forgot you "I have a pet!"

Now, the new trend is that most of the condo associations don't allow pets for tenants. Or in any case they do then they ask for a non refundable pet fee.

Its is quite a problem to figure out the condo regulations, many have 1 dog allowed, dogs but no cats, 2 pets are ok but not to exceed 100 lbs and so on. Before running around with a customer ask if they have a pet specially if thinking to relocate to Brickell avenue area.

Also Most of the Condo associations also require a building security fee which usually equals to the amount negotiated in the monthly rental price. Many landlords has decided to accept only first and security and have the tenant pay the building security fee directly which usually is refundable at the end of the leasing period subject to common areas conditions. In the event the tenant incurs in any damages, then it will assessed and deducted from the building security.

To help myself and my agents i have created a webpage with a list of condo buildings that allow pets for tenants (since most of them do for owners) and listing the pertinent restrictions. Is always good practice to call the condo association directly since bylaws and amendments could change the pet policy at any given time. Visit my Brickell Association Contact Page for more info

Pet Friendly Buildings in Brickell for Tenants

Small Dogs Atlantis Brickell (Max 10 lbs) Bristol Tower (Max 20 lbs)	Medium Dogs Sail on Brickell (25 lbs) Santa Maria (25 lbs) Imperial (28 lbs) Fortune House (30 lbs) Metropolitan Brickell (40 lbs) Axis on Brickell (30 lbs)	Large Dogs and Multiple Pets Latitude on the River (Max 50 Lbs) Vue on Brickell (Max 2 for 50 lbs) Mark on Brickell (Max 2 for 100 lbs)	No Weight Restrictions Four Seasons Plaza on Brickell Brickell On the River South

Recently on July 23, 2008 a news article just showed up in the Miami Herald and the Wall Street Journal mentioning the switch of perspective in the developer's mind to favor off campus students towards brand new housing close to major universities. written by By DAWN WOTAPKA, pointed to the obvious:

"The first tenants won't move into Vista del Sol in Tempe, Ariz., until next month, but its nearly 2,000 beds have been preleased for months. Cancellations aren't a concern: There's a lengthy waiting list for tenants eager to live in a resort-like setting with pool, fitness center and theater.

The secret is location, location, location. Vista del Sol is a private development that will house college students on the campus of Arizona State University. Across the country, more colleges are starting to loosen their grip on campus housing and strike deals with specialized developers to help meet housing needs. Modern dorms built and managed by professional real-estate companies can help colleges recruit and retain students while freeing up funds needed to improve classrooms, upgrade facilities and provide financial assistance.

For developers, the sector is considered recession-proof, thanks to generous parents and student loans. "We have been somewhat insulated from the macro economics of the economy," said Bill Bayless, chief executive of Austin, Texas.-based American Campus Communities Inc., which developed and will operate Vista del Sol."

Read the Entire article Here

It is curious to see these type of developments emerge, you wonder but certainly not for me. I have been handling a commercial property in Highland Park a small area off the UM University of Miami Medical School right off the new Miami Health District where hospitals such as JMH Jackson Memorial Hospital, Veterans Hospital and Cedars Hospitals are in Miami Florida.

The property is currently used as an income producing property with 29 units and 22,000 sq ft of land.

(As you can see I am handling other properties as well, which i will discuss later on) As you can see the hospitals are on the other side of the highway which makes this property walking distance to campus.

During the Real Estate Boom in Miami a few properties were demolished in this area including a Travel Inn Hotel right off the 12 avenue bridge, Aragon Plaza, A Rental community was also converted into condos, new residential towers such as the green building shown here Seybold Pointe and Highland Parl Lofts were built, giving an opportunity to student rent and buy apartments in these two complexes, however those seasonal students were left out since condo bylaws did not allow seasonal rentals. At this point a new residential tower is also on the way right off 8 street road with 60 units which it was originally built as a condo building now is re-thinking to opens its doors as a rental community to target to medical college students. Are we heading over to the concept of Vista del Sol but we simply don't know who to start? or how to mold the concept?

There is a need in the area not only for off campus housing and Modern Dorms but also for seasonal stays for rehab patients and family members from out of the state and even out of the country.

The University of Miami has not expressed an interest on building or expanding to the south of the 836 west highway. So who or whom are eyeing an opportunity to built a major development? This must be in the works for Highland Park in Miami since a few investment firms has bought land and demolished the previous structures mainly old homes and income properties. A question remains what is going to happen to the Habitat for Humanity homes in the area? Are those next? is the county thinking on relocated them and get into a deal just what they did with Camillus House? I wonder.

I recently drove by the parcel right off 10 ave road and 836 highways were before was a couple of frame houses and were demolished now sits a sign of Suffolk Construction with trailer and faced lot, there are many rumors that there will be a Marriott Courtyard opening in the near future on this parcel however who knows.

Will this impact the community? many considered this community as a historic community however time has passed and nothing can stop progress at this point.

The commercial properties i am selling sits on a 22,000 sq ft lot adjacent to another 2,000 sq ft lot which the owner who apparently has decided to sell after many many years considering the possibility has recently agreed to put on the market, these two lots could make a great opportunity for construction of off campus dorms or motel in the area improving the quality of living in near by the hospitals and opening a new chapter of greatness in the old highland park.

Do you have any inside info? share it with me.

If you want to see all details of these properties click here

Want so see more info on Seybold Pointe, simply click here